SINGAPORE - K-Pop sensation BigBang finally announced this week a new album and a world tour spanning Asia and the Americas.

Their last EP, Alive, released three years ago, was the first Korean-language entrant in the US Billboard 200 album chart. Since then, fans have been looking forward to their next album.

At the Celebrate SG50 countdown party in Singapore, the five-man band was the main draw. They said then that they had plans lined up for this year, and hinted at a new album and tour.

Group leader G-Dragon said then: "We have a lot of great music and performances coming so please continue to support us and we'll see you again soon. Very very soon."

But the band then sung one of their hits, a song titled Lies, sparking a frenzy of speculation among their fans. It looks like G-Dragon was telling the truth after all.

Here's more about the five members of the wildly popular Asian boy band:

1. G-Dragon, 26

G-Dragon or Kwon Ji Yong is a multi-hyphenate talent who has been called the Lady Gaga of South Korea.

His stage name is derived from his real name - "G" sounds like "Ji" and "Yong" means dragon in Korean, which is also the zodiac sign of the year he was born.

He started performing when he was seven, and he has been training under YG Entertainment since the age of 12. Singer, rapper, composer, producer and fashionista all rolled into one, he is known for his crazy outfits and ever-changing hairstyles.

The leader and the most prolific one out of the five, his solo career is just as successful. He is rumoured to be dating a Japanese -American model - Mizuhara Kiko.

2. T.O.P, 27

T.O.P or Choi Seung Hyun is G-Dragon's childhood friend. He was a rapper when G-Dragon invited him in 2005 to audition for a new boy band that YG Entertainment was forming.

He was rejected because he was overweight, but he lost 20kg in 40 days and signed on with YG six months later.

He was the first in the band to get into acting, which he has won awards for. He has released a couple of solo digital singles.

3. Taeyang, 26

Taeyang or Dong Young Bae has also been trained by YG Entertainment since the age of 12. His stage name "Taeyang" means "sun" in Korean.

He speaks the best English among the five members, and also has a successful solo music career. His solo efforts like Ringa Linga and Eyes, Nose, Lips have topped the charts.

He stopped by Singapore in February this year on his first solo world tour, and wowed fans with his slick dance moves, polished vocals and taut bod.

4. Daesung, 25

Daesung or Kang Dae Sung has a strong singing voice, and is also a comic known for his funny gags on Korean variety shows.

He also has a huge fanbase in Japan where his stage name is D-lite.

His parents objected to him joining BigBang, and he suffered from voice chord nodules and stage fright shortly after the group made its debut in 2006.

Another setback came in 2011 when he was involved in a car accident which killed a motorcyclist. He was not charged but he took six months off from public activities for "self-reflection".

5. Seungri, 24

The youngest member of the group, Lee Seung Hyun, is known for his dance moves. He owns several dance schools in his hometown of Gwangju.

His stage name Seung Ri means "victory" in Korean.

He missed the YG Family 2014 Galaxy Tour: Power in Singapore concert last September because he was hurt in a car accident in Seoul.

He is friends with Kim Lim, the 23-year-old daughter of Singapore billionaire Peter Lim. They posed for photos at a football match in Spain between Real Madrid and Valencia CF, which is owned by Mr Lim.

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